The inner nerd in me suggested that I write about anime this week, and I am happily obliging. I have always had a deep interest and appreciation for the Japanese culture, as I find it rich with many morals and teachings. However, I do possess a love for anime, which is a Japanese style of motion-picture animation characterized by stark, colorful graphics depicting vibrant characters in action-filled plots, often with fantastic or futuristic themes. Contrary to popular opinion, it isn't cartoons for nerds, but rather a vibrant and refreshing shift from the television that we are accustomed to. It is stylistically beautiful, and the plot lines are new and intriguing. So, here are some of my personal favorites that I would recommend.

1. "Attack on Titan"

"Attack on Titan," written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama, is a manga that is currently in production and still releasing new chapters, and it was adapted into an anime in 2013.

One hundred years before the initial story begins, humanity was pushed to the brink of extinction when large, humanoid creatures appeared on the Earth: titans. These beings, which are typically ten to fifteen feet tall, consume humans merely for the sake of doing it. They do not require a food source to survive, yet they will attack and eat humans upon sight. What was left of humanity constructed three, concentric walls of about 165 feet, where they have lived in an uneasy peace since. In the present, Eren Jaeger and his two friends, Mikasa and Armin, watch as a 200-foot titan breaks through the outer wall, allowing all of the smaller titans entry. The story follows these three as they enter the military in the hopes of killing all of the titans and taking back their territory.

There is definitely enough action and gore to go around, but there are distinct moments of character building and angst that will keep any viewer on edge. However, I will mention that aspects of the anime might be hard for some viewers to watch. But if you're still interested, just close your eyes at the gory parts and sing Hakuna Matata in your head.

2. "Fairy Tail"

"Fairy Tail," written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima, is a manga that has been in publication since 2006, and it is still being produced. An anime adaption was created in 2009.

In the world of Earth-land, magic is an everyday entity that many people use in mundane activities. However, some people choose to hone their magical abilities and join guilds, which are congregations of wizards who use their magic for work.

Seventeen-year-old Lucy Heartfilia runs away from home in the hopes of joining the Fairy Tail guild, which is notorious for its overly destructive behavior. In her travels, she meets Natsu Dragneel, a fire-wizard, and his anthropomorphic, flying cat, Happy. Natsu, who is a member of Fairy Tail, invites Lucy to join the guild, where they eventually form a team with ice-wizard, Gray Fullbuster, and armored-wizard, Erza Scarlet. The team of five take job requests together, using their magical skills to aid people in need and apprehend dark wizards, so long as Natsu and Gray can get along.

I personally love this anime for the high amounts of magic and fantasy, but I also grew ridiculously fond of the characters from the moment that they appeared on my screen. The five mentioned above all have unique abilities and backstories, and though they all have stark differences, the bond they all share is heartwarming.

3. "Tokyo Ghoul"

Created by Sui Ishida, "Tokyo Ghoul" is a manga that was released in 2011, and its anime adaption saw two seasons, one in 2014, and the second in 2015.

In an alternate reality exists individuals known as ghouls, which are people who can only survive by consuming human flesh. Ghouls, many of whom seek to live a normal life, attempt to blend into normal society while evading the government-sponsored organizations who wish to eliminate them. Ghouls are considerably stronger than humans, with enhanced speed, strength, and senses. Their skin can also not be pierced with an ordinary blade. In the story, college student Kaneki Ken goes on a date with a girl from a local coffee shop, Rize Kamishiro. Little does he know that Rize is a violent ghoul who gladly eats humans, and when they get into a one-sided fight, Rize almost killing Kaneki herself, both are crushed by construction equipment. The doctors, in a reckless attempt to save Kaneki's life, perform a surgery to transfer Rize's organs to Kaneki. After his recovery, Kaneki discovers that he has become a half-ghoul, and he must learn to live and accept his new life.

While this anime has some gory moments and bloody fights, I also find the way in which it is presented very interesting. Instead of solely focusing on Kaneki's story, this manga/anime branches out into the lives of the other characters, even the antagonists on the opposing side. It creates a skewed perspective of who is right and who is wrong, and it leaves you not knowng who to support.

4. "Blue Exorcist"

"Blue Exorcist," created by Kazue Kato, is a manga that was published in 2009 with its anime adaption airing in 2011.

There are two worlds: the human world of Assiah, and the demon world of Gehenna. Demons from Gehenna can possess humans and objects, thus creating chaos and a whole bunch of problems for everybody. This is when the Exorcists come in, where they use their skill sets to exorcise the demons and send them back to Gehenna. The only way for a demon to enter Assiah without possessing a human is by passing through the Gehenna gate, but this can only be opened by Satan, the ruler of Gehenna. The story revolves around Rin Okumura, who is very strong yet stubborn, and his twin brother Yukio, who is exceedingly intelligent. These boys are the adoptive sons of Reverend Shiro Fujimoto, an Exorcist, though the boys do not know this. One day, the monastery where they live is attacked, forcing Shiro to take action. In the chaos, it is revealed that Rin and Yukio are the sons of Satan. In the aftermath, Rin takes it upon himself to become the best Exorcist and kill Satan himself.

While the subject of demons may seem a bit dark, this anime has a fair amount of humor, sarcasm, and playfulness. The characters are easy to like (or dislike in some cases), and I enjoyed watching Rin develop as a character. Recently, a second season was set to be released in or after 2017.

5. "Black Butler"

"Black Butler" is a manga that was created by Yana Tobosa in 2006. It then became an anime in 2008.

In a mansion on the outskirts of London lives 12-year-old business magnate, Ciel Phantomhive, the Earl. This title was passed to him when his home was set on fire, his parents were killed, and he was tortured for a month. After these troubling events, Ciel returns home with an enigmatic butler in tow. Everything goes back to normal, right? Well, not quite. The butler, Sebastian Michaelis, is actually a demon who Ciel made a contract with. The terms state that Sebastian must aid Ciel in seeking revenge on all of the people who have wronged him in exchange for his soul. In the meanwhile, Ciel assumes the responsibility of "The Queen's Guard Dog," eliminating any threat to the Queen or the country. But all the while, Ciel and Sebastian are working towards revenge.

This anime was interesting to watch, not only because of the strangely unique characters, but also the historical context that was occurring. The anime incorporated real happenings from the Victorian era into the story line, such as Jack the Ripper, and it was exciting to watch how they put their spin on it. There was hardly ever a dull moment in this anime.

6. "Free!"

Free! is an anime that was released in 2013, and it is based off of the light novel, entitled "High Speed!" which was written by Kōji Ōji.

Let's take a break from the action-packed, fantasy animes and look at a more realistic one. Taking place in the fictional town of Iwatobi, the novel is centered around Haruka "Haru" Nanase, a very skilled swimmer who strictly sticks to the freestyle stroke. As kids in elementary school, Haru and his three friends, Makoto, Nagisa, and Rin, all compete in a swimming relay in which they win. However, when their local swimming club closes, they all go separate ways. In high school, Haru and Makoto are reunited with Nagisa, and eventually Rin, who had left Iwatobi to go to an elite swimming school in Australia. Rin's personality is much different than what the other boys remember, where Rin finds his skills superior to the others, and he demands that Haru race with him to prove this point. The anime then follows the struggles of the three as they create their own swimming club, find enough members, and finally face Rin head on.

While this anime might seem like a fan service to the female viewers, I found that it had a fair amount of depth to it. I found myself on the edge of my seat as I watched the characters race competitively, and my heart was warmed at the more emotional parts, and there were a lot of them. I enjoyed watching the bonds and friendships between the characters be stretched and strained and rebuilt, because it was a testament to how friends are in real life.

7. "Death Note"

"Death Note" was originally a manga, written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, with editions spanning from 2003 to 2006. The anime adaption was released in 2006.

This anime begins with a scene from what is known as the Shinigami realm, a barren, gray landscape. Shinigamis are creatures that each possess a Death Note, which is a book that can take the lives of humans. Shinigamis use their Death Notes to kill humans, which then adds the remaining years of that human's life to the Shinigami. A Shinigami by the name of Ryuk becomes bored, so he drops a Death Note into the human world and waits for someone to find and use it. Light Yagami is a popular, high school genius, who, when gazing outside his classroom window, sees the Death Note fall from the sky and land in the courtyard. He collects the notebook after class and takes it home. Upon opening it, he discovers that there are a set of instructions, one of which is shown in the gif above. After an internal battle, Light decides to test the notebook out, eventually discovers that it is, in fact, genuine. The Shinigami, Ryuk, appears to Light, stating that he will be following Light around, so long as Light is still the notebook's owner. Light then decides that he has the power to pass judgement on people, killing those who do wrong, so that Light can become the "god of the new world." The spike in deaths leads the government and a world-famous detective to get involved, so that they can catch the killer. Ironically, the police chief in charge of the investigation is Light's father.

I truly loved this anime because of how clever it was. The writer had to create problems and a solution worthy of two characters who are geniuses. My average-intelligence mind would sit there wondering, "How is Light going to get out of this one?" And then, in a way I never could have imagined, the whole story shifts. The piece was well put together, and it was easy to love or hate the characters.

8. "Akame ga Kill"

"Akame ga Kill" is a manga that was written by Takahiro and illustrated by Tetsuya Tashiro, and it was released in 2010 with chapters still being released. Its anime counterpart aired in 2014.

The setting for this anime is in a dystopian fantasy world in a country known as The Empire, where the majority of citizens, especially those in smaller villages, are highly impoverished. In one of those poor villages, the main character, Tatsumi, and his two friends set out for the Capitol to earn money for the village, but Tatsumi is separated from the other two. When he finally reaches the Capitol, he finally discovers how horribly corrupt it is when a woman steals all of his money. Alone, Tatsumi tries to find somewhere to stay, ultimately meeting a wealthy family who will house him, though they are not the sweet family they appear to be. In a chance encounter, Tatsumi comes face to face with Night Raid, a group of lethal assassins whose only goal is to bring stability and justice to The Empire by killing all of the corrupted individuals in power. Each member of Night Raid possesses an Imperial Arms, which is a supernatural weapon with a dangerous amount of power. Tatsumi, who is a skilled swordsmen, joins their team, vowing to take down the corrupted Capitol that brought so much pain to his village.

While there was quite a lot of death and murder in this anime with a questionable ending, I still highly enjoyed it. I liked the concept, the setting, and the inclusion of the Imperial Arms, because it added a dangerous twist to the story, especially when two Imperial Arm wielders battled. Each member of Night Raid has a unique personality and backstory, and I found myself loving all of them for their sarcasm and humor. Although, like I said, a lot of characters die, so be warned!

9. "Your Lie In April"

"Your Lie In April" was written and illustrated by Naoshi Arakawa, with its run lasting from 2011 to 2015. The anime aired from 2014 to 2015.

This is another anime on the realistic spectrum, taking place in modern-day Japan. The story follows the life of Kousei Arima, who is a piano prodigy that is famous across the music world, since he could play the instrument perfectly, but without emotion. He was taught by his physically ill, but abusive, mother, who forced him to play for hours until it reached her impossibly high standards. However, due to her illness, she passed away, and when Kousei performed in his next competition, he had a mental breakdown. Ever since, Kousei has been unable to hear the sound of the piano, though his normal hearing is fine. His friends, Tsubaki and Watari, want him to continue playing, but Kousei is determined to stay away from it... until he meets Kaori Miyazono, a free-spirited violinist whose playing style breaks the mold of tradition. With Kaori's assistance, Kousei returns to the music world, and she helps him see the world in color again.

I applaud this anime on its visuals, because they are absolutely stunning. The gif above is only a fraction of the whole anime. The style is vibrant, and the colors are vivid. Taking a look at the characters, I can see them as real people that could exist in the world. The pain that they might feel seems genuine, and the relationship between Kousei and Kaori makes me a happy camper.

10. "Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End)"

"Owari no Seraph" was written by Takaya Kagami and illustrated by Yamoto Yamamoto, and new chapters have been released since 2012. The anime adaption aired in 2015.

In the year 2012, a lethal "human-made" virus swept across the Earth, killing everyone over the age of thirteen. Then, in the midst of death and chaos, the vampires came out of hiding and took control of what was left. The main character (featured in the gif), Yuichiro "Yu" and the other members of the Hyakuya orphanage, quietly hid until the vampires discovered them, taking then all into "safety", at the cost of subjugating them for their blood. One night, Yu and his closest friend, Mikaela "Mika,"decide to take the other members of the orphanage and run away. However, in the home stretch, a vampire catches and slaughters them all, besides Yu, who manages to get away. Yu is found by the Moon Demon Company, an extermination unit of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army. The army's cause is to wipe out all of the vampires and take back their territory. To avenge his family's death, Yu vows to join the extermination unit, so that he can take revenge.

I listed this one as number 10, because it is not my favorite, but I still enjoyed watching it. This anime had an interesting twist on the everyday vampire story (believe me when I say this anime is not "Twilight"). There is a great deal of action and fighting, with a lot of death and bloodshed! As the anime progresses, new twists are added, and the characters go through many revelations, while also discovering unforeseen corruption. Basically, this anime has everything!

I hope these10 mini summaries influenced your opinions on anime, and maybe you even plan to watch one of them, if you haven't already. Just keep in mind that this is the list of ten that I created, which means that you may watch it and not feel the same as me.

I love anime because of the diversity of content that it offers. Some fans have made a joke, saying, "It could totally happen in an anime." After watching a good number, I have found this to be true. Just take a look at my list! All are completely different stories with different struggles, yet I loved each one. Anime is not like your everyday sitcom or crime drama; each has a fresh and new idea where anything can happen.